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T. G. H. James
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Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun (Tauris Parke Paperbacks) Paperback – January 15, 2012

by T. G. H. James (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
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In November 1922, a momentous discovery - unlike any other before or since - was to change our understanding of the ancient world. Until now, however, the marvelous story of Carter's quest for Tutankhamun and its culmination in his unearthing of the intact, treasure-filled tomb has been told without a reliable account of the man behind the discovery and the myths that have surrounded it. Howard Carter's career was a remarkable one: he had arrived in Egypt 30 years earlier as a 17-year old ""tracer"" with rudimentary education, and progressed to become the first Chief Inspector of Antiquities in Upper Egypt. An improbable but auspicious partnership with the 5th Earl of Carnarvon developed in which the young Carter acted as assistant and ""learned man"" to the aristocrat's excavations in the Theban necropolis. But it was the legendary discovery in the Valley of the Kings and Carter's painstaking clearance of the intact royal burial that was to secure his place in history. He became an international celebrity, simultaneously honored and vilified wherever he went, but he was also a sad, disillusioned man whose success never brought any reward of happiness. T.G.H. James' definitive biography is both the story of perhaps the most renowned archaeologist of all time and of an essentially tragic human being.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    544 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    I.B. Tauris
  4. Publication date
    January 15, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.58 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    184511258X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1845112585
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book cannot be more highly recommended to those who love archaeology, Egyptology or maintain a fascination with Tutankhamun and his tomb. As a biography it is first-rate.” --Donald P Ryan, Archaeology “...a serious vintage served by the most knowledgeable of wine-waiters”.--John Ray, Times Literary Supplement “[This] book will delight those eager to learn about archaeology abroad” --Gerald Cadogan, Financial Times

Book Description

"This book cannot be more highly recommended to those who love archaeology, Egyptology or maintain a fascination with Tutankhamun and his tomb. As a biography it is first-rate."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ I.B. Tauris; 2nd edition (January 15, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 184511258X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1845112585
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.58 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

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T. G. H. James

T. G. H. James

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
6 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Brian Newman
5.0 out of 5 stars Inclusive, detailed, dry
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2012
I was first attracted to reading this biography on Howard Carter after watching the BBC series Egypt  Egypt (BBC) . Carter was depicted in both flattering and unflattering ways, so I decided to embark on my own personal quest to find out as much about the man as I could. Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun helped me to do just that.

This book is simply a one-stop-shop on all things Carter related. From his childhood, peak of fame, and unnoticed death, every aspect of this man's life is written in painstaking detail. At times, you will find day by day and hour by hour accounts of different events that occur. Letters written by him and others are reproduced in full text, and the book is quite neutral regarding controversial subjects.

For the more casual reader, you might find this book to be a bit meticulous and overly detailed, which is why I feel it is more geared to scholars and researchers than the curious history lovers. I do not have any regret in reading it, however it often felt like an ordeal to get through. After my first attempt to read through it, it sat on my shelf for a good 3-4 months before I gave it another try. I am a firm believer that biographies do not need to be dry to the mind, but that does unfortunately happen with this one.

My compliments on the author for a well-written account on the life of Howard Carter. He succeeds in his purpose, yet I feel he fails to entertain in the process.
11 people found this helpful
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DAJ
4.0 out of 5 stars Meticulously detailed, but not all that easy to read
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2021
The standout trait of James's biography is its thoroughness. James was not only an authoritative Egyptologist, as knowledgeable about Carter's profession as Carter himself; he was one of the last Egyptologists to have had firsthand contact with people who knew Carter. Moreover, he built on that foundation of personal recollections by doing what must be an immense amount of research into the written sources. James's attention to detail appears as early as the second page, when he examines the primary documents to show that Carter's descriptions of basic details of his own life, such as the date and place of his birth or the timing of his father's death, often contained errors. The result is about as exacting a biography as one could ask for, discussing minute specifics even in periods of Carter's life that aren't all that well documented, such as the slump he went through after he left the Antiquities Service and before he was hired by Lord Carnarvon.

At times one can detect a pro-Carter bias. James convincingly rebuts of some of the accusations against Carter by Thomas Hoving's popular but untrustworthy book  0671243055 Tutankhamun: The Untold Story . But some of his other defenses, notably on the excavators' undisputed premature breach of Tutankhamun's burial chamber, are questionable. A more balanced assessment, though exclusively focused on the Tutankhamun discovery, is  Tutankhamen: The Search for an Egyptian King  by Joyce Tyldesley.

For many readers, the bigger downside will be that James' book feels rather dry. It's not a lifeless recitation of facts—James often comments on the personalities and attitudes of the people he's discussing—but it is easy to feel bogged down when reading all the primary-source minutiae. If you're looking for a biography that is compelling to read, rather than rigorously thorough, there's  the one by H. V. F. Winstone , which is lively but far from lightweight.
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Top reviews from other countries

Steve
5.0 out of 5 stars very good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2019
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Very good
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D. G. Hawkes
4.0 out of 5 stars A traditional biography of a non-traditional archaeologist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2011
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A detailed autobiography of Carter was overdue and this is exactly what TGH James brings his readership. The dust is carefully swept off Carters artistic beginnings and his hardy, earnest and curmudgeonly personality by James persuasive and well researched text. Carter played every emotion but stubborn outrage close to his chest. His telegrams and letters to Lady Carnarvon and to his long term collaborator Arthur Maces widow (on the deaths of the two most important men in his working life) are strangely blunt and empty. Similarly James seems to have less truck with the emotional aspects of the story. More could have been said about the arguments between Carnarvon and Carter (and Carnarvons rather moving and vulnerable attempts to rekindle their friendship)? Why was Carter never married or engaged? James plays down the relationship that has been suggested between Carter and Lady Evelyn Herbert. One feels that this business like no-nonsense approach to a working life would have pleased Carter immensely. Overall there is plenty here for those interested in the discovery of Tutankhamun in KV 62. It is an excellent read and provides a unique and balanced view of the controversies surrounding Carter. This balance is welcome after the more sensationalist and politically revisionist texts of the 80's and 90's. It is worth remembering that Carnarvons estate and Carter himself left the boy king and his fabulous objects in Egypt (perhaps against their will but James makes the point that Carter was ahead of his time and preferred this option). Carter had a remarkable (and for those days unfashionable) understanding of the inhabitants of the village of Gurna and Egyptian culture. Perhaps the criticisms of emperialist archeology, plundering ancient culture for financial gain, using museum pieces as high finance and maintaining dubious trading in antiquities should be levelled at the power interests who still refuse to return objects to Egypt rather than an archeologist who never took his greatest finds out of the country? Those searching for a more emotional response may well have to choose another patch of ground to dig. Those going with James systematically to the bedrock (such as it is)will find, I think, a much more fulfilling experience. Dave Hawkes
3 people found this helpful
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Mr. A. D. Bickerstaffe
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Howard Carter
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2010
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This is a very long and detailed biography of Howard Carter that covers his long career in Egyptology in some detail. The author has unearthed many private archives of those associated with the man himself to provide insights into the background to many key events, such as the notorious Saqqara Incident and its aftermath which led to Carter resigning from the Antiquities Service in Egypt. The author does not shy away from Carter's difficult and fractious nature, but he does rather tend to seek out excuses for his behaviour, and emphasise the great achievements his dogged nature could achieve. It is certainly true that the clearance of Tutankhamun's tomb could scarcely have been in better hands. However, the author does not always draw the conclusions that the evidence suggests, and Julie Hankey's biography of Arthur Weigall shows James' judgement to frequently be way off on that score.
Overall, this is an essential book for anyone studying the career of Carter or the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, and corrects many errors found in other accounts. However, further information - together with some balances and checks - are to be found in Hankey's and Hoving's books too.
6 people found this helpful
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